Chapter XXVII

THE MINISTRY OF FLOWERS--THE LITTLE VAGABONDS OF CORLEAR'S HOOK.

The Rookeries of the "Hook"--The "Gavroches" and "Topsies" of the Quarter--Great Number of Homeless Children--A School-building turned into a Lodging-house--The Superintendent--His Artistic Faculty--Flowers--A Novel Reward for the Children--Distribution of Flowers among the Poor--An Aquarium and Green-house--The Industrial School--An Earnest Teacher--The Children Like Little Indians--The Night-school and Free Reading-room--Sunday-evening Meetings--Assistance by various Gentlemen--A Young Army Officer and others--The Effect of these Meetings--The Purchase of the House--Begging Money for Charities--A Disagreeable Duty--Liberality of New York Merchants--Labors of Two of the Trustees--Gift of a Beautiful Conservatory to the Lodging-house--The Attractions of the School-room--Mothers' Meetings--Statistics of the Lodging-house--ELEVENTH-WARD LODGING-HOUSE--The Little Copper-stealers--Difficulties of the Superintendent in this House--Final Success--The Night-school, Day-school, and Bank--Sunday-evening Meetings--Labors of One Trustee--Our Hopes to Secure Better Lodging-house--Statistics...................................pp. 330-338